Bobbin bushing



pl 10, H356 P. c. coNsoLETTl BOBBIN BUSHING Filed May 5, 195] m mi TL MO Vw w@ C. w. m

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ATTORNEY United States Patent BoBBIN BUsnrNo Paul C. Consolctti, Milford, Mass., assgnor to Draper Corporation, Hopedale, Mass., a corporation of Maine Application May 5, 1951, Serial No. 224,751

3 Claims. (Cl. 242-4613) This invention pertains to improvements in bobbins, and more specifically, to an improved bushing and the combination of that bushing with the bobbin itself.

It is a general object of the invention to improve bobbins such, for example, as those employed for receiving thread as the same is spun or twisted, and which are designed to cooperate with a rotatable spindle.

It is a more specific object of the invention to improve the performance of these bobbins as they are driven by their spindles and to provide an additional bushing which is adapted to prevent lateral movement of a bobbin with respect to the spindle, especially adjacent the upper end thereof, and to prevent the bobbin from working upwardly on the spindle and therefore losing its driving engagement.

It is a further object of the invention to devise bushings particularly adapted for the purpose herein described.

Bobbins made of wood or other materials are used in spinning and twisting and are usually frictionally driven by contact between a part of the bobbin and a cooperating spindle on which the bobbin is carried. Driving torque is transmitted from the rapidly rotated spindle to the bobbin through an acorn or clutch on the spindle which engages within a bushing in the lower end of the bobbin.

In actual practice the bore adjacent the tip of bobbins of the type herein described may or may not t fairly closely the outside diameter of the spindle, and while that is true when the parts are relatively new, the actual diiference in diameter of the parts becomes more pronounced after the bobbin has been used for some time. Especially with wooden bobbins, the predominating type, but also with others, the rough treatment to which they are subjected, that is, fluid treatment, steaming, repeated and violent shocks, and the continued wear incidental to doing and donning and also to slippage of the bobbin on the spindle and to lateral vibrational movements thereof, the actual lit between the spindle tip and bobbin bore may become so loose as to permit the bobbin to vibrate laterally throughout a very considerable extent. This is accentuated by the fact that the packages built on these bobbins, as well as the bobbins themselves are not in exact balance and thus the vibrational forces which tend to be restrained by the spindle give rise to increased wear as well as the annoying vibrations.

It has been found that bobbins frequently fail to be driven properly, that is, they have a very definite and pronounced slip relative to the driving spindle so that they are actually not rotated at anywhere near the actual speed at which the spindle itself is driven. One reason for this appears to be a loosening of the engagement between the acorn or clutch elements and the bobbin and has been found to be, at least to an extent, caused by the fact that the upper end or tip end of the bobbin is not tightly engaged upon the spindle therefore permitting a lateral movement between the two and a vibration which actually causes the disengagement of the tapered surfaces, or other lifting of the bobbin with respect to the spindle mechanism which obviously gives rise to a change in driving conditions and to a lack of driving engagement 2,741,438 Patented Apr. 10, 1956 rice between the parts such as is necessary if the proper rotational speeds of the bobbins themselves are to be maintained. It is further to be understood that the taper between the acorn and the butt bushing may not be one devoted wholly toward maintaining ample frictional engagement for transmitting torque, since that would also increase the axial holding forces between the parts and prevent removal or dofling of the bobbin itself. Obvi ously the bobbins must be capable of being pulled from the spindles with a reasonable exercise of force and it is a fact that if that characteristic is to be realized, then the taper must be kept at an angle such that the actual driving force between the parts is not much greater than is necessary to maintain a more or less constant rate of rotation of the bobbin with and at the same speed as the spindle.

In overcoming the above mentioned difficulties, the invention has been directed toward elimination of the possibility of lateral movement of the bobbin with respect to the spindle, not only when the parts are relatively new, but also throughout the entire life of the bobbin. To this end a special bushing has been developed and is inserted to be xedly held adjacent the upper or tip end of the bobbin and to engage the spindle with a resilient force so that although the parts offer no particular resistance to axial movement as when donning or dong a bobbin, the lateral restraint necessary is resiliently, yet forcefully applied, so that no vibrational movement of the bobbin with respect to the spindle is experienced and so that even with the slight amount of wear which may occur over an extended period of time, there will be no tendency for the bobbin to become loose on the spindle, but rather it will be held thereon with virtually the same resilient gripping forces as prevailed when the parts were relatively new.

The invention will be described in the following part of this specication by more detailed description thereof with reference to the accompanying figures of ydrawing wherein:

Fig. l is a longitudinal section taken through a bobbin mounted upon a typical spindle and showing the manner in which the invention may be utilized.

Fig. 2 is a section showing to a greatly enlarged scale one form of bushing as applied to a bobbin.

Fig. 3 is a View similar to Fig. 2, but showing the same bushing when engaged upon a spindle.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view showing one of the early stages in the production of the bushing, subject matter of the invention.

Fig. 5 is an elevational View of the bushing showing a further step in its production.

Fig. 6 is a top view of the bushing at the stage shown in Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a top view of the bushing as the same appears when completed.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view through a modified form of bushing.

Fig. 9 is an end view of the bushing of Fig. 8.

Now referring to Fig. 1, a bobbin which may be made of wood, plastic, or any other satisfactory material, has a tapered barrel portion 10, a butt 11 and is bored axially with successively smaller diametered apertures progressing from the butt toward the tip. A bushing 12 in the butt may be formed in any one of the well known manners commonly employed and this bushing is flanged and held in the material at the butt of the bobbin by means adapted to preventaxial movement thereof once the same has been inserted. :y A, v v

The spindle itself comprises a blade 1 3, clutclrtype acorn 14 havingV a plurality of clutch segments 15, a whorl 16 and acontinuing partv17 of the spindle adapted to extend into the bolster or other bearing means within which the spindle blade, clutch and Whorl are adapted to be rotated.

The bobbin herein illustrated is of the type adapted to.

be employed in 10eme, of what iS known es e tilting bebbiii and therefore has e plurality f wire rinse 18 fer a purpose well lgnown to those conversant with vthe textilel art. It is to b e understood that the invention, although illustreted with this type of bebbin and Spindle may be appli cable to others and need not be limited in any manner to the particular types 0f Stich means as have been illustrated herein. While a clutch has been shown for driving the bobbin as the spindle rotates, it is to be understood that @simple tapered eeorn may be used and in that event, the eeemlmerelr engages frietienelly within the ,bushing 12 and imparts rotational force thereto as well as ener-ting a certain anionnt of resistance toward removal of the bobbin from the .Spindle Utisier normal conditions, the bere iedieeted by numeral 19 at the tip end of the bobbin would be of such diameter as to accommodate the end 2t) of the .spindle without particular tendency for relative movement between the parts when they are new. However, according to the invention, a bushing 21 is inserted in the bore 19 which must obviously be of slightly greater diameter than if no bushing were to be used, and this bushing, better shown in Figs. 2 and 3, is so constructed as to prevent any relatively lateral movement between the bobbin and the spindle. The bushing 21 has a sleeve portion 22, a ange 23 and Yresilient or springlike, inwardly directed lprojeotons or ngers 24 which Serve te stip the-end 0f the spindle 13 more 9i lees tightly, but in any instance, with s'utlcient force to prevent relative lateral movement. The bushing rnay be made of steel, brass or from .any other suitable material having considerable resilience so that the lingers 2 4 have a 'pronounced and permanent spring in them, and preferably, from some material which may be worlced so that the part is easily formed in presses o r the lilge.

The bushing is of an outside diameter snch as to be pressed into the bore 19 and to -be held tightly therein and the flange 23 bears upwardly against a shoulder which rnarls the transition between the bore V1'9 and the larger bore continuing therefrom toward the bobbin butt. If desired, the interior tubular portion of the bushing may be indented as at 24 according to the usual practice with the driving bushing at the butt., for example, the bushing 12, Fig. l. However, it has been found that if dimensions are such that the bushing 21 is pressed into thebobbin with a fair amount of force the relatively tight fit between the exterior of the bushing and the bore 1 9 serves ,Satisfacf terily te retain the parte in assembled Position Without any additional deforming such as just above described.

Now referring to Figs. 4-7, the successive steps in the formation of the bushing involve pressing and piercing or slitting operations which are very easily accomplished. in Fie 4 the materiel has been Ashaped inte e eupflike ferm thereby to form the sleeve 22 and the flange 23 While the opposite end is merely closed as in the formation ,of deep drawn parts of this type. At Fig. the slitting or piercing operation has beenperformed, and aseries o f cuts or slits 25 are made so as to divide the closing or transverse par-jt of the bushing blank into a plurality of. segments 26, herein shown as six innurnber, but any convenient number ofsubdivisions such as, may. prove. most advantageous may be used. Then in Fig. 7 thenext stepis-illustrated', thattisfthe segments 2-arepushed outwardly asbyaplung'er 2.7 of suitable diameter` and since the part Aisof' spring material, the segments .do not remain in the outermost position to which they are flexed but tend to spring inwardlyior back toward their original: position once the inserted member isV withdrawn. The resiliencyof' these" generally triangular sectors or fingers as they may be called serves lustratedinv Fig. 3i to 'bear' resiiiently upon *tirel opter periphery: of the upper end-Y ofthe spindle' 13 and thns vto h olrl the top portion of the'bobbininaxial alignment'with 'amaze the spindle and to prevent any tendency toward relative movement or Vibration between the two.

While six segments or lingers have been found to serve satisfactorily, a greater number may be employed if the insertion of the deforming member has a tendency to strain and to crack the corners of the segments adjacent the outermost portion of the cut. The material from which the bushing is formed has sucient resiliency to withstand the working or processing which it is subjected to in order to form the part as described.

ln Figs. e' and 9 a modified form of bushing has been shown andinstead of working toward the formation of a cupped blank, tubular stock may be employed, a flange 23 formed by a suitable process on the tubular stock which is of the proper diameter to form a sleeve 22 and then by a suitable metal working step, inwardly bent, resilient spring members 2S may be formed. These spring t embers 2S are preferably opposed aty opposite sides of the sleeves and may be of a sufficient plurality suitably to grip the spindle as required. 'When bent inwardly as shown, the spindle should deform or `den the spring members 12h outwardly to a slight extent as vthe bobbin is placed on the spindle.

The position of the bushing 2l adjacent the tip of the bobbin may be varied within limits, but should be as close to the tip of the bobbin as is practicable, its position, however, is generally limited by the length of the spindle blade or the extent to which that blade projects into the bobbin, it normally being a fact 'that the spindle blade extends toward the tip thereof, but stops at about the same distance f rorn that tip as has been illustrated inrFig. l.

The bushing 21 has no appreciable effect ipon the force reduired to place the bobbin on the spindle or to withdiaw it therefrom. ln operation of the mechanism the resilient fingers 2d or 23 or their equivalent, serve very well to restrain the bobbin against any lateral movement with respect to the spindle and therefore, unbalanced forces or other causes tending toward setting np vibration of `the rotating mass have no effect upon the bobbin as has here-v tofore been experienced. Even after a very prolonged period of operation, the bobbin fits the spindle tightly and there is no tendency for lateral vibration to canse a loosening of the driving and holding engagement between the butt bushing 12 and the part of the spindle against which it engages and the accompanying raising of the bobbin with respect to the spindle which results in a loss of driv.-Y ing .engagement between the parts.

Whilevone embodiment of the invention has been disclosed, it is to be understood that the inventive concept may be carried out in a number of ways. The invention is, therefore, not to be limited to the precisedetails deV scribed, but is intended to embrace all variations and modications thereof falling Within the spirit of the nvention and the scope of the claims.

Iclaim:

1,. In a bobbin adapted to engage and be driven by a spindle and comprising a centrally bored barrel and butt, the latter of which is provided with a bushing for engaging an enlarged driving portion of the spindle and receiving the driving impulse therefrom, that improvement which comprises a second bushing fixed within the Vbore of the bobbin adjacent the tip end thereof and c :otnprising` a sleeve, a positioning flange at one end and means on said sleeve for preventing withdrawal of the bushing from the bobbin, said sleeve having a plurality ofl independent, inwardly directed, kresilient spindle gripping projections.

2,. In a bobbin adapted to engage and be driven by a spindle and comprising a centrally bored barrel and butt, the latter of which is provided with a bushing for engagins en enlarged driving portieri of the spindle" and reeeivf ine' 'the' driving impulse theretem? that' Whieilt eenterites a Second bushing fixed I @1f the bebbiil adjacent' the tip .end thleref and stimati. e' Sleeve, a positioning flange et one end eeid Sleeve en@ means on said sleeve for preventing the withdrawal of the bushing from the bobbin and inwardly directed, ndependent, spring fingers at the other end for resiliently engaging the spindle.

3. In a bobbin adapted to engage and be driven by a spindle and comprising a centrally bored barrel and butt, the latter of which is provided with a bushing for engaging an enlarged driving portion of the spindle and receiving the driving impulse therefrom, that improvement which comprises a second bushing xed within the bore of the bobbin and comprising a sleeve, a positioning flange at one end of said sleeve and means on said sleeve for preventing the withdrawal of the bushing from the bobbin and a plurality of inwardly bowed, independently flexed, spring members intermediate the ends of said sleeve for resiliently gripping the spindle.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 50,311 Wright Oct. 3, 1865 Burr June 20, 1899 Bacon Apr. 9, 1901 Cunnii Dec. 7, 1909 Magrath Dec. 25, 1923 Stimpson Mar. 14, 1933 Staufert Aug. 1, 1939 Bennett Jan. 18, 1944 Pichette Nov. 22, 1949 Brouillard 1an. 13, 1953 FORETGN PATENTS Germany Apr. 27, 1932 

